Oesterle missed two games but will be back in vs. the Wild. Oesterle has some offensive ability but plays a limited role. He has turned that into three assists in eight games this season.
Haula did not travel to Philadelphia and will be replaced by Haydn Fleury, who will dress as a seventh defenseman. Haula will be replaced by Lucas Wallmark on the third line and is listed as day-to-day.
Vegas is set to start a four-game road-trip on Tuesday so Hague and Nic Roy come up from the AHL as reserves. For Hague, he has appeared in eight games with Vegas this season, tallying two assists, nine shots and seven hits while playing 14:59 ATOI. With Nate Schmidt back on the blueline, it may be difficult for the young defenseman to get into the lineup on this trip.
Oesterle missed six games while in concussion protocol but will play Saturday vs. the Avalanche. Aaron Ness or Ilya Lyubushkin will sit and Oesterle returns with two assists in six games this season.
Saros stopped 28 of 30 shots in the Predators win in Tampa Bay last Saturday. Pekka Rinne struggled on Thursday, so the Predators will turn to their younger netminder vs. the Rangers. He had a tough start to the season but will try and build off of his best outing to date. He is 6-6-1 in his last 13 starts on home ice.
Forsberg has missed the last six games but will play Thursday vs. the Flames. Forsberg has enjoyed a tremendous start to the 2019-20 season, scoring five goals with three assists (eight points) in six games.
Forsberg missed the last six games with a lower-body injury but was back on the ice for Thursday's morning skate and is expected to play vs. the Flames. Forsberg, who has eight points (5G / 3A) in six games this season, will be back on the second line with Matt Duchene and Mikael Granlund.
Gravel appeared in three games with the Maple Leafs during his call-up but returns to the Marlies with Travis Dermott (shoulder) set to make his season debut on Tuesday. Gravel has no points in three AHL games this season.
Josi was in the final year of his seven-year deal that carried a $4.0M AAV cap-hit. Josi will go from being one of the biggest bargains to the third-highest paid defenseman when his new contract kicks in. Josi is currently tied for second among defensemen in points with 13 (5G / 8A) in 11 games.
Hague had three shots while playing 18:34 TOI last night and has two assists in eight NHL games overall. The Golden Knights are off until Thursday, so this could be nothing more than a money-saving paper move. However, Nate Schmidt was also a full participant in Monday’s practice, so it could also be a sign that he will return to the lineup on Thursday.
Forsberg skated in a non-contact sweater during Monday’s practice, suggesting that he’s not quite ready for Tuesday’s game vs. Chicago. His return to practice is a good sign that he is nearing a return and could be back this week (TUE vs. CHI, THU vs. CGY & SAT vs. NYR).
Hague had two assists in seven games during his call-up but Jake Bischoff has recently taken his spot on the third pair. Hague returns to the AHL, where he had 13 goals and 19 assists (32 points) in 75 games last year.
Gravel has bounced between the NHL and AHL since 2016, appearing in 107 career NHL games with the Kings and Oilers. He doesn't bring a lot of offence to the table but has great size (6-foot-4, 205 lbs.) and shutdown abilities for a third-pairing defenseman.
Oesterle was questionable for Saturday’s game but his move to IR rules him out for at least one week. Aaron Ness was recalled to take Oesterele’s spot on the roster.
Oesterle took a puck in the back of the head on Thursday night and is questionable for Saturday’s game against the Senators. If Oesterle can’t play, Ilya Lyubushkin will draw into the lineup.
Saros allowed six goals on 37 shots in the Predators loss in Los Angeles last Saturday. Saros has had a forgettable start to the season, losing each of his first two games while allowing 10 goals on 64 shots (.844 SV%). He hasn’t had very difficult opponents either. Arizona comes in averaging just 2.20 goals per game (29th) so this could be a spot where Saros gets back on-track.
